Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security

Sarin Gas

█ JULI BERWALD

Sarin gas (O-Isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate), also called GB, is one
of the most dangerous and toxic chemicals known. It belongs to a class of
chemical weapons known as nerve agents, all of which are organophosphates.
The G nerve agents, including tabun, sarin and soman, are all extremely
toxic, but not very persistent in the environment. Pure sarin is a
colorless and odorless gas, and since it is extremely volatile, and can
spread quickly through the air. A lethal dose of sarin is about 0.5
milligrams; it is approximately 500 times more deadly than cyanide.

History and global production of sarin.
Sarin was first synthesized in 1938 by a group of German scientists
researching new pesticides. Its name is derived from the names of the
chemists involved in its creation: Schrader, Ambros, Rudriger, and van der
Linde. A pilot plant to study the use of sarin was built in Dyernfurth.
Although they produced between 500 kg and 10 tons of sarin, the German
government decided not to use chemical weapons in artillery during World
War II. The Soviet army captured the plant at Dyernfurth at the end of the
war and resumed production of sarin in 1946. The Russian government
currently has about 11,700 tons of sarin.

Between about 1950 and 1956, the United States produced sarin. It is
estimated to have stockpiles totaling 5,000 tons of the nerve agent stored
in different parts of the country. Several other countries including
Syria, Egypt,

Subway passengers affected by sarin gas planted in central Tokyo
subways are carried to the hospital in March 1995. Years after the Aum
Shinri cult's terrorist attack in which 11 people were killed
and thousands were injured, many victims still suffer physical
symptoms from the gas.

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

.

Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Iraq have confirmed or suspects stocks of
sarin.

Sarin as a weapon.
Iraq produced sarin between 1984 and 1985, when weapons inspectors were
ordered to leave the country. Prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq had
admitted to once having at least 790 tons of the nerve agent. In 1987 and
1988, the United Nations confirmed that Iraq used a combination of
organo-phosphorous nerve agents against Kurds in northern Iraq. It is
estimated that 5,000 people were killed and 65,000 others were wounded in
these attacks. There was also extreme environmental damage.

On March 20, 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult released the nerve
agent sarin in a Tokyo subway. This incident killed 11 and injured more
than 5,500 people. Members of the cult left soft drink containers and
lunch boxes filled with the toxin on the floor of subway trains. They
punctured the containers with umbrellas just as they exited the cars. The
attack was timed for rush hour, so as to affect as many people as
possible. Because the sarin was of low quality and the affected cars were
quickly sealed once the sarin was detected, the magnitude of the attack
was suppressed.

Sarin poisoning.
Like other organophosphate nerve agents, sarin inhibits the break down of
the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Under normal conditions, this enzyme
hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. When sarin is present, the
build up of acetyl-cholinesterase results in the accumulation of excessive
concentrations of acetylcholine in nerve synapses. This overstimulates
parasympathetic nerves in the smooth muscle of the eyes, respiratory
tract, gastrointestinal tract, sweat glands, cardiac muscles, and blood
vessels.

After exposure to sarin, symptoms begin within minutes. If a person
survives for a few hours after exposure, he or she will likely recover
from the poisoning. The first symptoms of sarin poisoning include a runny
nose, blurred vision, sweating, and muscle twitches. Longer exposures
result in tightness of the chest, headache, cramps, nausea, vomiting,
involuntary defecation and urination, convulsions, coma, and respiratory
arrest.

Atropine acts an antidote for nerve agent, including sarin. Atropine binds
to one type of acetylcholine receptor on the post-synaptic nerve. A second
antidote is pralidoxime iodide (PAM), which blocks sarin from binding to
any free acetyl-cholinesterase. Both should be administered as soon as
possible following exposure to the toxin. Diazapam can also be used to
prevent seizures and convulsions. Soldiers fighting in regions where
chemical weapons are likely to be deployed are now equipped with a Mark I
antidote kit containing both atropine and PAM.

SEE ALSO

User Contributions:

Does atropine counter sarin gas ? Does the U.S. government publish articles about protective devices such as clothing respiratory equipment so the public can at least maybe have a chance at protection and survival of a sarin gas attack or biological attack in-order for citizens to protect themselves like that of bomb shelters and radiation ?

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